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Number theory Difficulty 8.2 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let a,b,c,da, b, c, d be positive integers satisfying
aba+b+cdc+d=(a+b)(c+d)a+b+c+d \frac{a b}{a+b}+\frac{c d}{c+d}=\frac{(a+b)(c+d)}{a+b+c+d}
Determine all possible values of a+b+c+da+b+c+d.

Solution

Answer: The possible values are the positive integers that are not square-free.

First, note that if we take a=a=\ell, b=kb=k \ell, c=kc=k \ell, d=k2d=k^{2} \ell for some positive integers kk and \ell, then we have
aba+b+cdc+d=k2+k+k32k+k2=kk+1+k2k+1=k \frac{a b}{a+b}+\frac{c d}{c+d}=\frac{k \ell^{2}}{\ell+k \ell}+\frac{k^{3} \ell^{2}}{k \ell+k^{2} \ell}=\frac{k \ell}{k+1}+\frac{k^{2} \ell}{k+1}=k \ell
and
(a+b)(c+d)a+b+c+d=(+k)(k+k2)+k+k+k2=k(k+1)22(k+1)2=k, \frac{(a+b)(c+d)}{a+b+c+d}=\frac{(\ell+k \ell)\left(k \ell+k^{2} \ell\right)}{\ell+k \ell+k \ell+k^{2} \ell}=\frac{k(k+1)^{2} \ell^{2}}{\ell(k+1)^{2}}=k \ell,
so that
aba+b+cdc+d=k=(a+b)(c+d)a+b+c+d \frac{a b}{a+b}+\frac{c d}{c+d}=k \ell=\frac{(a+b)(c+d)}{a+b+c+d}
This means that a+b+c+d=(1+2k+k2)=(k+1)2a+b+c+d=\ell\left(1+2 k+k^{2}\right)=\ell(k+1)^{2} can be attained. We conclude that all non-square-free positive integers can be attained.

Now, we will show that if
aba+b+cdc+d=(a+b)(c+d)a+b+c+d \frac{a b}{a+b}+\frac{c d}{c+d}=\frac{(a+b)(c+d)}{a+b+c+d}
then a+b+c+da+b+c+d is not square-free. We argue by contradiction. Suppose that a+b+c+da+b+c+d is square-free, and note that after multiplying by (a+b)(c+d)(a+b+c+d)(a+b)(c+d)(a+b+c+d), we obtain
(ab(c+d)+cd(a+b))(a+b+c+d)=(a+b)2(c+d)2. \begin{equation*} (a b(c+d)+c d(a+b))(a+b+c+d)=(a+b)^{2}(c+d)^{2} . \tag{1} \end{equation*}
A prime factor of a+b+c+da+b+c+d must divide a+ba+b or c+dc+d, and therefore divides both a+ba+b and c+dc+d. Because a+b+c+da+b+c+d is square-free, the fact that every prime factor of a+b+c+da+b+c+d divides a+ba+b implies that a+b+c+da+b+c+d itself divides a+ba+b. Because a+b<a+b+c+da+b<a+b+c+d, this is impossible. So a+b+c+da+b+c+d cannot be square-free.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.